OSAMA Bin Laden is dead, US President Barack Obama confirmed in a television address. He said the terrorist leader responsible for 3000 deaths in New York when aircraft struck the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, died in a US operation in Pakistan. A small team of Americans were involved. ''They killed Bin Laden and took custody of his body,'' the president said, declaring it a ''significant achievement.'' He said Osama was not a Muslim leader but ''a mass murderer of Muslims.'' His message to families of victims was that ''justice has been done.'' ''Today's achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country,'' the President said.

Crowds gathered and cheered the news outside the White House. Former president George W. Bush called the killing ''a momentous achievement.'' International air travel changed forever after the NY terrorist attack. At some point, a reaction can be expected from Bin Laden's followers.

washingtonpost.com Fans at the Mets-Phillies game began chanting''U-S-A! U-S-A!'' as the news of Osama Bin Laden's death spread through Citizens Bank Park.

wired.com In a ''compound'' near an area in tribal Pakistan called Abottabad, US operatives engaged in a ''firefight'' with bin Laden's handlers, Obama said, and killed the terrorist leader. It was the result of eight months of intelligence work, with Obama giving the order to carry out the operation last week.

sbnation.com If Twitter is a microcosm of how the people are feeling and what they're discussing at a given moment, then the people of America are thrilled, happy, relieved, concerned, inquisitive and can hardly contain themselves.


A daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media.

FC Phuket defeats Thai Honda 6-1 at home in Phuket City.

bangkokpost.com The government will consider a further increase in the daily minimum wage for factory workers within a month, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said. He said most workers had complained last year's wage hike was still not enough for them to live a comfortable life because of the runaway prices of consumer products and food.

nationmultimedia.com The government was urged to raise wages to reflect the real cost of living and throw a safety net to casual and migrant workers. However, an economist warned that the promise by political parties to boost wages was just a "sweetener" and would stoke inflation, making life actually harder for workers.

independent.co.uk AirAsia is to introduce fuel surcharges from May 3, becoming one of the first major low-cost airlines to do so. It will affect all domestic flights within Malaysia and all international routes, the airline said, although domestic flights within Thailand and Indonesia will not be affected. The price of fuel has skyrocketed in recent months.

channelasia.com Innovative "group buying" sites offering bargains on everything from meals to travel packages are catching on in Asia as companies harness the power of social media to influence consumer behavior. International brands and local merchants alike are exploiting the business model, which offers attractive deals with a catch - they have to be purchased by a minimum number of consumers within a deadline.

bangkokpost.com Police arrested Wasan Siakson, 40, in Chiang Mai, and officers say he has stolen up to 150,000 baht a day from ATMs for years, using toothpicks as part of a con trick. Khun Wasan laundered the money through his restaurant in Koh Lanta, Krabi, police say.

aljazeera.net Libyan state television has shown what it called footage of the body of Muammar Gaddafi's son who was allegedly killed in a Nato air raid. Al Jazeera's Sue Turton, reporting from Benghazi, said there were "an awful lot" of suggestions in Libya that the news of the deaths could be fabricated.

guardian.co.uk The British embassy in Tripoli was set on fire and other western missions were ransacked by angry Libyan crowds in retaliation for a Nato air strike said to have killed members of Muammar Gaddafi's family. Britain responded by giving Libya's ambassador to London, Omar Jelban, 24 hours to leave.

ft.com More than a million Roman Catholic faithful put the troubles of the Church aside on Sunday in a celebration of the fast-track beatification of John Paul II, the largest crowd seen in Rome since the funeral of the late pope six years ago.

bbc.co.uk The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are spending their first weekend as a married couple at a secret location. The couple, who married on Friday, have opted to delay their honeymoon, with Prince William returning to his job as an RAF helicopter pilot on Tuesday.

afp Hundreds of thousands of people around the world attended May Day rallies Sunday to defend workers' rights they say are under fresh attack from austerity measures, and to press for democratic reform. From Hong Kong to Indonesia, Moscow to Paris, protesters marched and rallied in largely peaceful demonstrations for international Labor Day.

smh.com.au The Australian dollar touched a new post-float high early today as it continues stalking the 110 US cents mark. The Aussie hit 109.83 US cents shortly before 6am but had fallen back to 109.62 US cents about an hour later.

afp Singapore is a nation of immigrants but its opposition parties are tapping into growing anti-foreigner sentiment among voters to win more parliamentary seats in general elections on May 7. Foreigners are accused of stealing jobs, depressing wages and straining housing, transport, schools, hospitals and other public services, putting the ruling party on the defensive for easing immigration rules in recent years.

inewsone.com The toll in Japan's March 11 quake and tsunami has reached 14,704, while 10,969 remain unaccounted for. The Japanese government has said the damage from the disaster could total $310 billion.

10thousandcouples.com Offering 17 pristine white beaches with access to the amazing Pha Na Bay with its dramatic rock formations, Phuket has become one of Conde Nast's top tropical destinations for both LGBTQ and straight travelers. Gay-friendly options abound, including specialised hotels that cater only to the Gay community, restaurants, night clubs, and shopping, and there is always something going on in this little neighborhood.

pr-usa.net Voyages Jules Verne has announced the relaunch of its tours to Burma (also known as Myanmar), following the reopening of tourism to the country. The move has been endorsed by the Free Burma movement. Burma was the winner of the Wanderlust Travel Award 2011 for Best Emerging Destination. The first VJV tour departs November 2011.

afp Malaysian police said Sunday they were investigating how "smooth criminals" walked off with over $1 million in diamond jewellery from a gem exhibition. District police chief Arjunaidi Mohamed told AFP that officers were probing the heist, which took place at the exhibition stand of famous local jeweller Habib at a suburban mall.

sportinglife.com In a sport now littered with meaningless world titles, a man who never won one remains Britain's most popular prize-fighter. Sir Henry Cooper, who died on Sunday aged 76, came within seconds of defeating the great Muhammad Ali during a career in which he won no global honors but incredible goodwill and public support.

scmp.com The Chinese love of shark's fin soup gets all the blame. But fish and chips in Britain and Australia, shark sashimi in Japan, and shark-based products in Taiwan contribute significantly to depletion of shark populations, diverse studies show



May 5 Coronation Day public holiday
May 13 Royal Ploughing Day public holiday
May New PPAO Hospital to open, Phuket City
May 17 Visakha Bucha Day public holiday
June 12 Laguna Phuket International Marathon
June 17 Phuket Property Dot Com Pro Am Invitational, Laguna
June 23-26 Phuket Fun Fly paragliding, Nai Harn
July 3 Phuket Navy League US Independence Day fair at Headstart International School
July 15 Asarnha Bucha Day public holiday
July 20-24 Six Senses Phuket Raceweek
August 12 HM The Queen's Birthday public holiday
October Vegetarian Festival, Phuket
November 26-27 9th Phuket International Soccer 7s
November 27 Laguna Phuket Triathlon
December 3-4 6th Andaman International Soccer 7s
December 4 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, Laguna


March 18-28 National Youth Games, Phuket

November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket